Why join Sustainable Connections?
Sustainable Connections offers valuable opportunities throughout the year for you—restaurateurs, chefs, caterers, retailers, institutional food buyers, and any business looking for fresh, local food—to connect with producers of the high-quality local products that your customers
are increasingly demanding. While member surveys show that most members join because of each other—peer business and organization leaders who share values about the health of our community, environment and local economy, there are many great benefits of membership and we hope you’ll take advantage of all of them. CLICK HERE to become a member of Sustainable Connections.
Benefits specific to local food buyers, offered by our Food & Farming Program, are in bold below.
NETWORK & CONNECT:
• Twice-annual Producer/Buyer Trade Meetings where you
can connect with local farmers and producers
• Chef Farm Tours give you the opportunity to tour local
farms, meet the farmers, & taste their wares in the field
• Producer/Buyer Wholesale Directory guide listing* to help
local producers connect with you
• Food & Farming program bulletins & updates
• Regular networking events
• Member-to-Member email announcement every other week,
and an opportunity to place your own announcements
• Member-to-Member discounts between businesses
• Annual All Members Meeting
MARKETING & PROMOTION:
• Listing in the new "Local Food Guide" (30,000 copies),
(the union of the Farm Map and Guide to Eating Local)
• Use of “Buy FRESH” brand, recognized by 69% of
Bellingham residents
• Attractive Farmer Posters to highlight the farmers you work
with and let your customers know you Buy FRESH!
• Display and distribution of catchy "Our local business buys
Fresh & Local" business cards
• Free listing in our Sustainable Connections Member Directory
• Free listing on our website with link to your website
• Free coupon in the “Where the Locals Go” coupon book
(4000 copies sold yearly)
• Free participation in the Think Local campaign including
materials and advertisements
• “Sustainable Connections Business Member” window decal
• Use of Sustainable Connections and Think Local logos
EDUCATIONAL OPPORTUNITIES:
• Bi-monthly Sustainable Practices emails
• Tips on protecting our watershed - take the “Watershed Pledge”
• Significant discounts on events including green building,
food and farming, zero waste, and sustainable economy
workshops and annual Spring Business Conference
• Organizational newsletters
*There is a fee for these publications and events, steeply discounted for members, also available to non-members at market rate. See membership form for details.
The FRESH & LOCAL Pledge
Any locally-owned business can become a member of Sustainable Connections and gain access to resources for moving down the sustainability path. But only food buyers taking the Fresh & Local Pledge can be listed in the Whatcom Food & Farm Finder, and be identified as a Buy FRESH Business in our publications and materials.
The Fresh & Local Pledge is a good-faith commitment to supporting local agriculture. To take the pledge, download it here, sign and send to Sustainable Connections Food & Farming, 1701 Ellis #221, Bellingham, WA 98225, or fax to (360) 594-4373.
